College Tennis News - Cako Earns Third-Consecutive NCAA Singles Bid

Picture taken by Shayne Dwyer, Sun Devil Athletics

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.--Arizona State senior tennis player Jacqueline Cako was chosen by the NCAA as one of 64 players selected to compete in the NCAA Singles Championship, May 22-27, following the team championship competition in Champaign, Ill. Cako and her doubles partner senior Nicole Smith, who are 14-6 on the season, qualified for the championships in doubles play.

This is Cako's third-consecutive NCAA Singles selection in three seasons with the Sun Devils. Cako is a two-time All-American for Coach Sheila McInerney and is ASU's first repeat singles All-American since Adria Engel earned the honor three-consecutive times from 2001-03.

The two-time All-American was also named the 2013 Scholar Athlete of the Year in tennis by the Pac-12 Conference for graduating from the Barrett Honors College with a degree in Bioscience. Cako graduated in three years by taking between 18-21 credit hours a semester while playing No. 1 for the Sun Devils. Cako plans to pursue the professional tennis circuit before attending medical school.

Cako and Smith's bid is the first NCAA bid in the doubles competition for each athlete and the first doubles team from ASU to qualify for the NCAA Doubles Championship since Kelcy McKenna and Micaela Hein qualified in 2011.

Previously, the NCAA selected Arizona State for its 28th overall postseason appearance as a team and the 26th-straight for the program under McInerney. The Sun Devils face Oklahoma in the opening round of competition on Sat. May 11th at 6 a.m. PT/9 a.m. ET in Athens, Ga. The winner of the ASU/OU match-up will move on to face the winner of Georgia/Winthrop match-up on Sunday.